Tag: Lord Oates

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made regarding the government of Zimbabwe’s attempt to access external funding from multilateral financial institutions including the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank.

Baroness Verma

The Government of Zimbabwe has been in arrears to the International Financial Institutions for over a decade. This prevents Zimbabwe from accessing any new financing for development from the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank.

The Government of Zimbabwe presented its plans to clear multilateral arrears at a side meeting during the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, in October. Bilateral creditors at the meeting, including the UK, broadly welcomed the intention of the Government of Zimbabwe to work towards arrears clearance, but stressed that implementation of reforms would be necessary to achieve debt resolution.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 14 July (HL1014), whether it is the policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to refer to all ministers of foreign countries without using their title or forename, as with Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa; and if so, when that became their policy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have amended the record so that it provides Zimbabwean Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s full title.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s political advisers, including both special advisers and members of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Details of Special Adviser numbers and remuneration across Government departments, including for Special Advisers and Members of the Council of Economic Advisers in HM Treasury, were published in December on the gov.uk website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they consider the government of Zimbabwe would need to fulfil, in terms of demonstrating sustained adherence to the constitution of Zimbabwe and a sustained commitment to protecting the human rights of Zimbabwe citizens, before they would provide financial support for a land reform programme.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Land reform in Zimbabwe is essential for improving agricultural productivity and broader economic development. The British Government has consistently said that it would be ready to join international partners in supporting a land reform programme in Zimbabwe that is transparent, fair, legal and within the context of a broad range of reforms. Separately, we continue to call, both bilaterally and in partnership with others, for an end to human rights abuses and the restoration of internationally accepted standards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the ministerial special advisers, including members of the Council of Economic Advisers, who were in post on 1 September.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Information on the cost of special advisers, which I have attached for information, was published on 17 December on gov.uk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they consider the government of Zimbabwe would need to fulfil, in terms of demonstrating sustained adherence to the constitution of Zimbabwe and a sustained commitment to protecting the human rights of Zimbabwe citizens, before they would provide an economic support package.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK has no plans at present to provide an economic support package to the government of Zimbabwe. As we have made clear, any future decision on new funding through the International Financial Institutions would require considerable further progress on a wide range of reforms –including upholding the constitution and human rights alongside urgently needed economic reforms.

The UK has made clear that the international community must continue to support the people of Zimbabwe in exercising their democratic rights and in building a free, peaceful and prosperous future. Delivering critical assistance and services to empower poor Zimbabweans is central to this support. No UK aid is channelled directly through the government of Zimbabwe. We only provide direct funding to foreign Governments when they commit to improving the management of public finances, tackling concerns about human rights and corruption and improving domestic accountability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the Accident and Emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital to treat additional patients from the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary catchment area in the event that the proposed closure of the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Infirmary goes ahead.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of changes to the journey times for patients in the event that the Accident and Emergency department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is closed.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on mortality rates arising from changes to journey times for patients if the proposed closure of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary’s Accident & Emergency department goes ahead.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of the local population, and proposals for substantial service change must meet the four tests of reconfiguration which are: (i) support from GP commissioners; (ii) strengthened public and patient engagement; (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base; and (iv) support for patient choice.

All commissioners proposing reconfiguration must include an analysis of travelling times and distances in their Pre-Consultation Business Case.

All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. We expect the local NHS to undertake robust analysis of the impact of any proposed significant changes to services as part of the case for change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-11-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current food security situation in Ethiopia.

Baroness Verma

We are extremely concerned about the impact of the current drought on the food security situation in Ethiopia. A joint Government of Ethiopia and UN assessment is underway and we are in touch with our UN and Non-Governmental Organisation partners on the ground to determine the extent of need.

In October, the Government of Ethiopia announced that about 8.2 million people are in need of emergency food aid, up from the 4.5 million estimated in August. The number of severely malnourished children under five years old admitted to therapeutic feeding programmes this year has increased notably.

Britain has acted quickly and decisively by providing emergency support for 2.6 million people. This includes food aid for 2.1 million people for a month. The Government of Ethiopia has also committed its largest ever response to a drought. The international community will need to work hard with the Government of Ethiopia to prevent the crisis from worsening in the coming months.

DFID is at the forefront of resilience work to reduce the impact of crises in developing countries. In Ethiopia, DFID’s Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP) has helped turn desert land into land that can be farmed again.